Undergraduate Research

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Browsing Undergraduate Research by Author "Anderson, Cassidy"

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    Ameliorating Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil Against Oxidative Stress
    (2019-04-30) Anderson, Cassidy; Mudrack, Kristen
    Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, both of which lead to an interconnecting vicious cycle of cell death. Research has indicated that heavy metals found in the modern environment such as aluminum sparks some of the oxidative stress found in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Other research as well as mainstream health medias postulate coconut oil as not only a preventive measure but a potential means to reduce symptoms for Alzheimer’s due to its antioxidant activity. Using yeast as the eukaryotic cell model, mitochondrial dysfunction was measured as a result of aluminum and other metals to induce oxidative stress. After mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress via metals were demonstrated, the yeast was treated with coconut oil before and/or after oxidative stress to determine the ameliorating effects of this particular medium chain triglyceride. Oxidative stress was assessed via fluorochromes in order to determine the oxidative stress. Spectroscopy was utilized to determine mitochondrial activity. Coconut oil is expected to prevent and protect yeast from reactive oxygen species.
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    The effects of polarized light on B. napus growth
    (2018-04-19) Anderson, Cassidy
    Throughout nature, carbohydrates and proteins are observed to have respectively homogenous chirality; carbohydrates are known to exist in a right-hand (D) configuration and proteins in a left-hand (L) state. Previous studies have shown that plants show polarization effects when grown in varying types of polarized light. It is hypothesized that our galaxy has a magnetic spin and magnetic orientation, which contributes to the homogeneous, naturally occurring chirality of proteins and carbohydrates. This study aims to examine both the phenotypic and chemical polarization effects of four different types of light on Brassica napus ssp. Pabularia. Altering the direction of light to which B. napus is exposed may alter the configuration of carbohydrates that it produces via photosynthesis. Carbohydrates are extracted from the natural product through an ethanolic homogenization step. The resulting combination of glucose, sucrose, and fructose solution are then separated using HPLC with a size-exclusion column. After separation and recollection, the carbohydrates are run through a polarimeter to determine chirality of the sugars. D-form sugars give a positive absorbance, while L-form reads a negative absorbance value. Over time, B. napus may show preference for a specific type of polarized light and, over many generations, undergo an evolutionary change that causes the organism to begin producing L-oriented enantiomer carbohydrates as a direct result of the type of polarized light to which it was exposed.